I am writing to you concerning your forthcoming visit to China. This visit, as you will be aware, comes as dissidents, lawyers,
artists and writers are being summarily rounded up and disappeared. It is also a critical time at Kirti Monastery,
Ngaba in eastern Tibet, where hundreds of monks have been detained and a stand-off developed between local people,
monks and China's security forces following protests against China's rule. At least three people have died in Ngaba in
recent weeks.

China will no doubt attempt to portray your visit as evidence that there is no disagreement between the EU and China about
human rights. I implore you to ensure this does not happen by very strongly and publicly expressing the European
Union's deep concern about the current situation before, during and after your visit.

I urge you to make the crisis at Kirti Monastery a central message for your visit and to address your concerns directly to
Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. Specifically I urge you to:

* Call for the release of Ai Wei Wei and all detainees in connection with China's crackdown on dissent, and for the release
of all monks and laypeople detained in Ngaba since 16 March 2011 (Ch: Aba, Sichuan Province)
* Call for the withdrawal of China's paramilitary forces from Ngaba.
* Demand that diplomatic observers and the media be permitted free access to Ngaba and Kirti Monastery.

I also request you to urgently mandate your team to increase the resources dedicated to monitoring the situation in Tibet
by creating the position of a Tibet Liaison Officer in the EU's Beijing Delegation. This simple,
tangible step would significantly enhance the EU's access to information about Tibet and increase its capacity to respond
to China's crackdown. It would further strengthen the long-standing support that the European Union has given to Tibet
and send a highly appropriate and timely signal to China of the EU's concerns.

I look forward to hearing from you
Sincerely,
Inge HERMANSTibetan leader warns India of China 'encirclement'

By Penny MacRae (AFP) – May 22 2011

NEW DELHI — The newly-elected head of Tibet's government-in-exile has warned India that it is being encircled by "Chinese interests"
as Beijing strengthens its South Asian presence.
China has been boosting its regional influence by developing relations with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal,
said Lobsang Sangay, elected by Tibetan exiles as their new premier after the Dalai Lama announced he would retire as the Tibetan
movement's political leader.
"You can see the encirclement of India by China interests," the 43-year-old international law expert said in his first wide-ranging
interview with Indian television since his election last month.
"I just want to remind or highlight these facts," the Harvard academic told India's NDTV channel. "Let Indian leaders decide for
themselves what to do."
India is home to at least 100,000 Tibetan exiles, many of whom live in the northern hill town of Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama
and Tibet's government-in-exile are based.
Sangay's comments chime with New Delhi's own worries that deep-pocketed China is seeking to encircle the Indian Ocean region with
huge infrastructure development projects from arch-rival Pakistan to Myanmar.
Indo-Chinese relations also have become more tense in recent years over such issues as their disputed Himalayan border, the trigger
for a brief, bloody war in 1962, despite flourishing trade between the two fast-growing economies.
Sangay appealed to the New Delhi government to consider Tibet's future "as a core issue between India and China and accordingly
please act on it."
But New Delhi has long trod a cautious policy on Tibet for fear of riling Beijing, stipulating that Tibetans can remain in India
as long as they do not use the country as a springboard for anti-Chinese activities.
Sangay is a far more prominent and influential figure than any of his predecessors after the Dalai Lama's decision to transfer his
political powers to the head of the government-in-exile.
He hit out at Chinese government officials who he said have refused to accept his election as the new Tibetan political head,
saying doing so was "not helpful in creating a conducive atmosphere for peaceful dialogue".
At the same time, he reiterated a pledge that he would abide by the Dalai Lama's "middle way" for Tibet, which calls for
"genuine autonomy within China" rather than independence sought by younger, hardline Tibetan exiles.
"I, as the elected head of the administration, must fulfil that policy," Sangay said, adding: "I do believe in a peaceful solution."
The Dalai Lama, 75, retains the more significant role of Tibetans' spiritual leader as well as his grip on major policy-making
decisions.
China has for years insisted that the Buddhist monk, who fled Chinese rule of his homeland for India in 1959, wants to establish
an independent Tibet -- charges the Nobel laureate has long denied.Following are a few media coverage stories on the Kalon Tripa election of Dr.Lobsang Sangay.

With profound humility I accept the Tibetan people's support and the post of Kalon Tripa.

It is sobering to realize that nearly 50,000 people in over 30 countries voted in the recent Kalon Tripa and Chitue elections. Your overwhelming support is humbling and I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations.
I ran on a platform which surrounded the three core principles of unity, innovation and self-reliance. In keeping with that spirit, I would like to acknowledge the campaigns of the other two candidates, Trisur Tenzin Namgyal Tethong la and Kasur Tashi Wangdi la. It was a privilege to run against two extraordinary men with such distinguished records of public service. I have tremendous respect for both of them. I also want to thank Professor Samdhong Rimpoche for his steady leadership over the past ten years as our Kalon Tripa.
The recent Kalon Tripa and Tibetan parliamentary elections were by all accounts unprecedented. There was a level of enthusiasm from both the electorate and candidates that was never witnessed before. This enthusiasm was not limited to solely Tibetans in exile either. Tibetans inside Tibet followed the elections closely and I heard accounts of Tibetans lighting butter lamps, praying, and celebrating by bursting firecrackers. My heart was lifted when I even received messages of support and Khatas from Tibetans in Tibet. Outside of Tibet, Nepal interfered in our elections and disenfranchised thousands of Tibetan voters there. Still our people were not daunted. And Tibetans in over 30 countries cast their vote.
I view my election as an affirmation of the far-sighted policies of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and another important step towards the realization of his vision of a truly democratic Tibetan society. I believe the success of the recent Kalon Tripa and Chitue elections and the active participation of the Tibetans in the elections is a significant moral victory.
This campaign has been a great personal journey for me. I had a chance to visit Tibetans in many countries as well as most of the Tibetan settlements in India. I still vividly remember many of the interactions I had with fellow Tibetans while on the campaign trail. As I prepare to assume this important position of responsibility, their hopes and aspirations will continue to be at the forefront of my mind.
I am assuming leadership responsibility against the backdrop of His Holinessâ€™ magnanimous decision to devolve political authority to elected leaders. In contrast to the Jasmine revolution where people are giving up their lives to secure democracy, His Holinessâ€™ gesture demonstrates his faith in the Tibetan people. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is my inspiration and I will seek to achieve the ambitious objectives he has set for us. I take comfort in the fact that the changes we are going through are happening as per his vision and while His Holiness is healthy and available to watch over us. I am also confident that the democratic institutions and government we have in place will help sustain the Tibetan movement into the future.
I would like to sincerely thank all those who participated in the election because their participation strengthened our democracy. I want to extend my special thanks to my diligent and selfless supporters who set high standards by running a positive and constructive campaign. However, I would also like to appeal to my supporters to refrain from organizing celebration parties because the result of this election is not an individual loss or victory, but rather a mandate to shoulder the aspirations of six million Tibetans. We are already facing immense challenges including a critical situation in Ngaba and Amdo with Tibetans being killed and arrested by the Chinese government. I want to express my sincere appreciation and extend my deepest support to the people in Tibet who continue to show tremendous courage even in the most difficult of situations. Our hearts and minds are steadfastly with them.
I urge every Tibetan and friends of Tibet to join me in our common cause to alleviate the suffering of Tibetans in occupied Tibet and to return His Holiness to his rightful place in the Potala Palace.
The participation and enthusiasm we witnessed during the elections was overwhelming and I encourage everyone to continue being an active participant. The time has come for all Tibetans to take on greater responsibility. While I will do my utmost to fulfill the responsibility you have placed in me, the success of the next Kashag will depend on the engagement of all Tibetans. Together, I am confident we will march together towards a better future.

The election commission of the Central Tibetan Administration in exile, headed by Mr. Jampal Chosang, announced this morning
the final results of the elections of the Kalon Tripa (Chief of Cabinet) and the new Parliament in exile.

Mr. Lobsang Sangay, a 43 year old US based Harvard research fellow, is elected to the post of Chief of Cabinet of the Central
Tibetan Administration with 27,051 votes. The other finalists, Mr. Tenzin Namgyal Tethong got 18,450 votes and
Mr. Tashi Wangdi 3,173 votes.

As for the new Parliament in exile, the Election Commission announced the election of forty-two members who will sit at the
XV legislature of the Parliament in exile, 28 representing the three provinces of Tibet, eight representing the four
Buddhist schools of Tibet, two representing the Bon religion, two representing the North American continent and two
representing Europe.

Venerable Thupten Wangchen, Director of Casa del Tibet, Barcelona and Ms. Koren Chungdak, former Representative of
His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Switzerland, currently residing in Norway were elected for the two seats allocated to Europe.
The new Chief of the Cabinet and the XV legislature of Parliament in exile will be operational from September 2011 for a period
of five years.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DHARAMSHALA: The Election Commission of the Central Tibetan Administration today declared the final results of the elections
of the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and the third Kalon Tripa directly elected by the Tibetan people in exile.

North America
S.no Name Native Present residence No. of votes Vote percentage
1 Dekyi Choeyang Do-mey North America 2988 53.44%
2 Norbu Tsering U-tsang Toronto 2596 46.43%Herdenkingswake in Gent voor repressieslachtoffers in TibetTwo die in Tibetan monastery crackdown: rights group
People had their arms and legs broken, one old woman had her leg broken in three places, and cloth was stuffed in their mouths to stifle their screams," an exiled Kirti monk was quoted as saying by the rights group.Besieged Monks 'Tortured'
The intensity of torture was so severe that the pain and agony felt by the monks were the same as if they were being skinned alive.
Many of them fainted under the torture and violence," said Tsering and Yeshe, whose monastery is in regular contact with
monks and residents of Ngaba.
21 April 2011
De Vrienden van Tibet in samenwerking met het International Tibet Network

Global Tibet movement condemns China's crackdown on Tibetan Monastery

The worldwide membership of the International Tibet Network (1), consisting of almost 200 Tibet campaign organizations on
six continents, condemns China's continuing crackdown on the monks of Kirti Monastery and Tibetans living in Ngaba,
Amdo in Eastern Tibet (Ch: Sichuan Province). This crackdown has resulted in at least 34 detentions, beatings,
restrictions of movement, food shortages and an intensive "patriotic re-education" campaign following the death
of a 20-year old monk named Phuntsok from self-immolation on 16 March (2). The Tibet Network calls on governments
around the world to issue a public statement of concern about the crisis and to immediately convey to China's leaders the
message that its security forces must withdraw from Ngaba, all detainees must be unconditionally released and unfettered
access must be granted to international observers and media.

Video footage released yesterday by Voice of America's Tibetan Service, viewable at
http://www.youtube.com/user/VOAKunleng#p/u/0/zwmstGsFlJc
clearly refutes China's claim that the situation in Ngaba is "normal."
The footage includes an interview with the head of Kirti Monastery in Dharamsala, India who says,
“[On Monday] a Foreign Ministry spokesman told a press briefing that there were still religious observances going on,
worshippers coming and going, and monks free to leave to conduct pujas (a daily ritual of prayers and offerings) in
local households. The fact is that the monastery is encircled by armed soldiers 24 hours a day, while inside government
officials intimidate and harass the monks under the guise of a ‘Patriotic Religion’ re-education campaign. They have
fenced off all the prayer wheels around the perimeter to prevent people from worship, and blocked off all the gaps
in the perimeter wall, turning the compound into a prison, and now that the monks don’t even have food to eat day by day.
How can the government talk about security and normality? If the government’s account is correct, then foreign reporters
and observers should be allowed in to see for themselves.” (Translation by the International Campaign for Tibet.) (3)

On 15 April His Holiness the Dalai Lama appealed for restraint, saying,

"The current situation prevailing at Kirti Monastery in Ngaba in northeastern Tibet is extremely grim because of the stand-off
between the Chinese military forces and the local Tibetans. The monastery, housing approximately 2500 monks, is completely
surrounded by Chinese armed forces, who at one point prevented vital food and other supplies from entering the monastic compound.
[…] I am very concerned that this situation if allowed to go on may become explosive with catastrophic consequences
for the Tibetans in Ngaba.” (4)

In the coming weeks the US/China and EU/CHina Human Rights Dialogues are expected to take place, as well as visits to China
by a number of leaders including Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and European Commission President Herman van Rompuy.
Tibetans and Tibet supporters worldwide urge all those involved in these diplomatic exchanges
to robustly express their concern for the safety of monks and Tibetan lay people in Ngaba and to
call for an end to the human rights abuses being inflicted by Chinese security forces.

Notes

1. The International Tibet Network is a global coalition of 183 Tibet related non-governmental organizations,
which works to maximise the effectiveness of the worldwide Tibet movement. Network Member organizations hold varied positions
on Tibet's future political status, but all regard Tibet as an occupied country and are dedicated to ending human rights
violations in Tibet, and to working actively to restore the Tibetan people's right under international law to determine
their own political, economic, social, religious, and cultural status.

A.C.T. Tibet Support Group
Australia Tibet Council
Australian Tibet House Inc.
Friends of Tibet New Zealand
Students for a Free Tibet New Zealand
Tibet Action Group of Western Australia
Tibet Support Group - Australia
Tibetan Community of Australia (Victoria)
Tibetan Women Association and Friends Australia
Sakya Trinley Ling
Australian Tibet House Inc.

Africa and Middle East

Friends of Tibet - Isamailia (Egypt)
Israeli Friends of the Tibetan People
South African Friends of Tibet
Tibet Support Group Kenya

Background information
The Panchen Lama is a hugely important spiritual figure in Tibetan Buddhism, second in significance in the Gelukpa school
only to the Dalai Lama.
When the 10th Panchen Lama died in 1989 the search began to find his reincarnation. The search was led by Chadrel Rinpoche of
Tashilunpo Monastery in Tibet, who provided a list of candidates to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. On 14 May 1995 Gedhun Choekyi
Nyima was chosen from that list. Three days later he and his family went missing. In May 1996 the Chinese authorities admitted
to the UN Committee for the Rights of the Child that Gedhun and his family were being held in a secret location.

The Chinese government, recognising the political significance of the Panchen Lama, wished to have a replacement of their own
choosing to sway Tibetan society and counter the influence of the Dalai Lama. Six months after Gedhun’s abduction the Chinese
authorities selected Gyaltsen Norbu, a young Tibetan boy to become the 11th Panchen Lama.

Norbu's parents were Communist Party members and he was raised and educated in Beijing. Information from inside Tibet suggests that
Norbu is not revered by Tibetans as the authentic Panchen Lama, and that Buddhist monasteries only receive him under duress from
the Chinese authorities.

Still living in Beijing, Gyaltsen Norbu has made an increasing number of public appearances and statements in recent years.
In March this year, at the age of 20, Gyaltsen Norbu was appointed as a national committee member of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s top political advisory body. On his appointment, Xinhua news agency quoted
Norbu saying that he promised to "uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China" and "adhere to socialism, safeguard
national unification, strengthen ethnic unity and expand Buddhist exchanges".

The Panchen Lama is also charged with the task of recognising the Dalai Lama's reincarnation, and it is felt that the Chinese
leadership will use Gyaltsen Norbu to select a candidate who they will exercise considerable control over. This would have serious
implications for Tibet's political future. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has stated that he will be reincarnated in exile,
out of the reach of the Chinese government. It is expected that Beijing will produce their own Dalai Lama, just as they
have with the Panchen Lama, and that the child in question will live a life as a political pawn.

I don't think you will receive this letter. I know that you're being watched, monitored and controlled 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
But deep down I have this stubborn hope that maybe you will hear us. Maybe you'll see us typing these words in New York,
as you turn 22.
I am writing on behalf of Students for a Free Tibet, an organization with more than 50,000 members in over 100 countries.
Every one of us are thinking of you at this moment. Ever since you were abducted by the Chinese government at age 6,
we lost touch with you. We don't know where you are, or how you are.
But after all these years, we're still thinking of you and fighting for your freedom. We're not giving up.
22 is a great age to be, at least for the average boy. When I was 22, I was in my final year of college, excited but nervous at
the prospect of entering the real world. I wonder how you're feeling as you turn 22, another year in captivity,
for committing no crime except that of being the Panchen Lama.
The Chinese government has robbed you of your childhood, your adolescence, your identity, your rights, your friendships,
and your country.
No matter what you've been told by your minders and tutors appointed by Beijing,
there is a world out here where people are searching for you.
Tibetans and supporters hang your photo in their homes or carry it in their wallets. Mothers hold your image to their chest,
your photograph wet from tears and crumpled from years of separation.
We have not forgotten you. In fact, with each passing year of your absence, your presence is burnt ever deeper into our memory.
Your previous incarnation, the 10th Panchen Lama, is remembered for his monumental contribution to the Tibetan nation.
What is less known about him is that he was also a great Buddhist scholar. In this time of suffering and oppression,
he would have enlightened us to the reality that nothing is permanent, not even China's oppression in Tibet.
Only freedom and truth will endure the test of time.
The Chinese empire stands on a foundation of lies, and these lies are falling apart.
We know that the forces that keep you imprisoned are running out of time.
As the world moves from darkness to light, from oppression to freedom, from dictatorship to democracy,
we can see the fog clearing up on the horizon.
The day is not far when you will join the real world, to live a free life, to take your rightful seat at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.
Sending you wishes and prayers on your 22nd birthday. May you celebrate your next birthday in freedom.
Tibet will be free.

With hands folded in reverence, most sincerely yours,
Tendor
Students for a Free Tibet

Fears of starvation of monks at Kirti monastery and brutal crackdown by security forces loom large.
The Chinese government has sealed off Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County in northeastern Tibet by deploying armed security forces
to crackdown on Tibetans following a monk's suicide last month in protest against Chinese government's repression.
Phuntsog, a 21-year-old monk of Kirti Monastery, set himself on fire 16 March 2011 to mark the third anniversary of the brutal
killing of at least 10 Tibetans at the monastery when unprecedented protests by Tibetans swept across whole Tibet in 2008.
Eye-witnesses saw the Chinese police beating Phuntsog while extinguishing the flame. A group of Tibetan monks retrieved the
fatally wounded monk from the police captivity and took him inside the monastery. At the same time, hundreds of monks and
lay people took to the streets to express their resentment over the Chinese authorities' heavy-handed approach over the incident.
A large contingent of security forces were brought in to disperse the Tibetan protesters, many of whom were beaten
indiscriminately with electric batons and iron clubs before being taken into police custody. Meanwhile, Phuntsog,
who remained holed up for hours inside the monastery cordoned off by armed military forces, succumbed to his grievous
burn injuries in the early hours of 17 March at a hospital. Hospital authorities demanded police clearance for treatment.
The death of Phuntsog triggered peaceful protests by Tibetans in different parts of Ngaba county. The schoolchildren organised
a hunger strike at their school in Barkham county in Ngaba on 17 March. Another peaceful protest was reported in Namda township
in Dzamtang county in Ngaba, where over 100 protesters shouted slogans of their yearning for freedom and His Holiness the
Dalai Lama's return to Tibet. The police severely beat the protesters and arrested eight Tibetans. Those detained in connection
with the Phuntsog's protest and suicide include his uncle Losang Tsondru and a monk of Kirti monastery named Samdrup.
According to monks at Kirti monastery in Dharamsala, the security forces are making arrests by night, and everybody
is terrified of being arrested. The whereabouts of those arrested still remain unknown.
The security clampdown in Ngaba aggravated as Tibetan residents attempted to celebrate the democratic elections in the exile
community on 20 March. Despite a heavy build-up of troops in the area, some people in Ngaba conducted prayers inside their
homes and set off fire-crackers to mark the day. Some Tibetans were detained in the crackdown.
Sporadic arrests of Tibetans were also reported in Tawa, Kanyag Dewa and Cha township in Ngaba county from 22 – 24 March.
As part of the broadening crackdown, the Chinese government had enforced “patriotic re- education” campaign at
Kirti Monastery since 20 March. The authorities have imposed an indefinite ban on the religious activities at the monastery.
The situation worsened on 11 April as the local Tibetans gathered at Kirti monastery in an attempt to protect monks from being
taken away for “re-education” at a detention centre. Several Tibetans were beaten and injured after the police set trained dogs
on the crowd.
The situation in Ngaba County continues to deteriorate as paramilitary forces have sealed off Kirti Monastery with barbed
wire fence and concrete wall restricting the movement of monks and vital food supply for them.

Stand-off in Ngaba: Tibetan monks need your help

Tibetan monks at Kirti monastery in eastern Tibet are in danger - and need your help. As Beijing intensifies its sweeping crackdown on dissent, Chinese troops in Tibet are on the verge of "disappearing" hundreds of monks.

Tibetan monks in Dharamsala, India have received an urgent call for help from Tibetans in Ngaba County (Chinese: Aba County). They are reporting that Chinese troops attempted to storm Kirti monastery this morning. According to reliable sources, residents fear Chinese authorities are planning to forcibly remove all monks between the ages 18 and 40.

Local Tibetans, being alerted to the troops' arrival, rushed to block the monastery entrance. The armed police and soldiers tried to break through the crowd by beating the Tibetans and setting police dogs on them. In spite of the violent attacks, the Tibetans stood their ground and the troops failed to enter the monastery's inner gates. As of now, the standoff continues.

Tibetans fear Chinese authorities are planning to transfer the monks from the monastery into local prisons where they will be subjected to China's repressive political "reeducation."

Tension in Ngaba has been high since the self-immolation of Phuntsok Jarutsang (pictured right), a 20-year monk from Kirti Monastery, on March 16, 2011. Chinese forces have been stationed around Kirti Monastery for weeks and more than a dozen monks have been
arbitrarily arrested.

According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights & Democracy as of yesterday, troops had completely sealed off the monastery. The monks' dwindling food supplies are prompting fears of starvation in the monastery. The lives of many Tibetans are at stake.

European Parliament
Ban on the elections for the Tibetan government in exile in Nepal
European Parliament resolution of 7 April 2011 on the ban of the elections for the
Tibetan government in exile in Nepal

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its resolution of 17 June 2010 on Nepal (1) and its resolution of 26 October
2006 on Tibet (2),
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of
1966,
– having regard to the statement of 29 May 2010 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on
the political situation in Nepal,
– having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the occupation of Tibet by the People’s Republic of China prevents the Tibetans
from electing their representatives in the territory of Tibet democratically,
B. whereas more than 82 000 exiled Tibetans across the world were invited to vote on 20
March 2011 to elect the new Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister) of the Tibetan government in
exile,
C. whereas several thousand Tibetans in Nepal did not get permission to vote from the
Nepalese authorities in Kathmandu, under increasing pressure from the Chinese
Government,
D. whereas already during an earlier round of voting in Nepal on 3 October 2010,
Kathmandu police confiscated ballot boxes and shut down the Tibetan community voting
sites,
E. whereas on 10 March 2011 the Dalai Lama announced that he would formally relinquish
his political leadership role in the Tibetan exile government which is based in
Dharamsala, India, in order to strengthen the democratic structure of the Tibetan
movement on the eve of elections to choose a new generation of Tibetan political leaders,
F. whereas the Government of Nepal has claimed that demonstrations by Tibetans violate its
‘One China’ policy, has reiterated its commitment not to allow ‘anti-Beijing activities’ on
its soil and has thus imposed a blanket ban on the movement of groups of Tibetans in an
attempt to appease the Chinese authorities,

G. whereas the Nepali authorities, particularly the police, have repeatedly been reported as
violating basic human rights such as freedom of expression, assembly and association of
Tibetans in exile in Nepal; whereas these rights are guaranteed for all persons in Nepal by
international human rights conventions to which Nepal is party, including the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
H. whereas the overall situation of many refugees in Nepal, in particular the Tibetans, gives
cause for concern,
I. whereas the EU reaffirmed its commitment to support democratic and participatory
governance in the EU’s external relations by the adoption of its Council conclusions on
Democracy Support in the EU’s External Relations on 17 November 2009,
1. Underlines the right to participate in democratic elections as a fundamental right of all
citizens that must be upheld, protected and guaranteed in every democratic state;
2. Calls on the Government of Nepal to uphold the democratic rights of the Tibetan people,
who are conducting a unique internal election process which has existed since 1960, to
organise and to participate in democratic elections;
3. Emphasises the importance of peaceful democratic elections to the strengthening and
preservation of the Tibetan identity both inside and outside the territory of Tibet;
4. Urges the Nepali authorities to respect the rights of Tibetans in Nepal to freedom of
expression, assembly and association as guaranteed for all persons in Nepal by
international human rights conventions to which Nepal is a party;
5. Calls on the authorities to refrain from preventive arrests and restrictions on
demonstrations and freedom of speech that deny the right to legitimate peaceful
expression and assembly during all activities undertaken by the Tibetan community in the
country and urges the Government of Nepal to include such rights and to ensure religious
freedom within Nepal’s new constitution, due to be enacted by 28 May 2011;
6. Calls on the Nepalese authorities to abide by their international human rights obligations
and their own domestic laws in their treatment of the Tibetan community and urges the
government to resist the strong pressure exerted by the Chinese Government to silence the
Tibetan community in Nepal using restrictions which are not only unjustified but also
illegal under domestic and international law;
7. Considers that the continuation of the full implementation of the ‘Gentlemen’s
Agreement’ on the Tibetan refugees by the Nepali authorities is essential for maintaining
contact between the UNHCR and Tibetan communities;
8. Calls on the European External Action Service through its delegation in Kathmandu to
closely monitor the political situation in Nepal, especially the treatment of the Tibetan
refugees and respect for their constitutionally and internationally enshrined rights, and
urges the EU High Representative to address the concerns about the actions taken by the
Nepalese Government to block the Tibetan elections, with the Nepalese and Chinese
authorities;
9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the
Member States, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Government of Nepal and the Secretary-
General of the United Nations.

3 /PE 463.374
Dear friends we will hold a prayer session for the victims of the Earthquake in Yushu last year, we request you to join these prayer sessions
The prayers also goes to the Jamyang Jinpa

Jamyang Jinpa, a monk in the northwestern province of Gansu, died on April 3, three years after taking part in the demonstration at his Labrang monastery
This Tibetan monk who in 2008 joined a protest in front of foreign journalists in China has died after allegedly suffering "severe torture" while in detention.

The Tibetan Community, in collaboration with all the other Tibetan organisations in Belgium, will hold a prayer session for the late monk: Phuntsok, who so selflessly sacrificed himself for the cause of our nation.
The prayers also goes to the victims of the earthquake/tsunami in Japan.

HH The Dalai Lama recommended to recite the heart sutra for the victims in Japan.

The Heart Sutra

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, practicing deep prajna paramita,
clearly saw that all five skandhas are empty, transforming all suffering and distress.

Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form.
Form is exactly emptiness, emptiness exactly form.
Sensation, thought, impulse, consciousness are also like this.

Shariputra, all things are marked by emptiness -
not born, not destroyed,
not stained, not pure,
without gain, without loss.
Therefore in emptiness there is no form, no sensation, thought, impulse, consciousness.
No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind.
No color, sound, smell, taste, touch, object of thought.
No realm of sight to no realm of thought.
No ignorance and also no ending of ignorance to no old age and death and also no ending of old age and death.
No suffering, and also no source of suffering, no annihilation, no path.
No wisdom, also no attainment.
Having nothing to attain, Bodhisattvas live prajna paramita with no hindrance in the mind.
No hindrance, thus no fear.
Far beyond delusive thinking, they attain complete Nirvana.
All Buddhas past, present and future live prajna paramita and thus attain anuttara samyak sambodhi.

Therefore, know that prajna paramita is the great mantra, the wisdom mantra, the unsurpassed mantra, the supreme mantra, which completely removes all suffering. This is truth, not deception. Therefore set forth the prajna paramita mantra, set forth this mantra and say:

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Tibetan Buddhist monk burnt himself to death in western China Wednesday, triggering a street protest against government controls on the restive region, a group campaigning for Tibetan self-rule said.

The self-immolation appeared to be a small repeat of protests that gripped Tibetan areas of China in March 2008, when Buddhist monks and other Tibetan people loyal to the exiled Dalai Lama, their traditional religious leader, confronted police and troops.

The 21-year-old, named Phuntsog, was a monk in Aba, a mainly ethnic Tibetan part of Sichuan province that erupted in defiance against Chinese control three years ago.

The monk "immolated himself today in protest against the crackdown," said Kate Saunders of the International Campaign for Tibet, a London-based organisation.

"He shouted some slogans about freedom when he did it," said Zorgyi, a researcher for the organisation, who is based in northern India, where many exiled Tibetans live.

"We've also received widespread information about a protest with nearly one thousand monks and lay people that came after," Zorgyi said.

Police moved in to suppress the protest and arrested some monks, he said.

Repeated calls to police and government offices in Aba were not answered. One officer who answered the phone said, "Nothing is wrong."

In March 2008, Tibetan protests led by monks in Lhasa, the regional capital of Tibet proper, were suppressed by police and turned violent. Rioters torched shops and turned on residents, especially Han Chinese, who many Tibetans see as intruders threatening their culture.

At least 19 people died in the violence in Lhasa, most of them Han Chinese. Pro-Tibet groups abroad say more than 200 people were killed in a subsequent crackdown.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)

Tibetan monk burns to death in China protest

Dear all,

Reports are emerging of a major incident today at Kirti Monastery, Ngaba (Ch: Aba), Amdo (Sichuan).

Monks at Kirti monastery in Dharamsala have told Voice of Tibet and others that a young monk called Phuntsok set fire to his body and shouted slogans. Voice of Tibet have been told that the fire was extinguished and he was beaten by police and has died (an earlier report said he was still alive). It sounds as though a major protest then took place, joined by monks and laypeople, and police and military personnel have placed the area under tight security.

Today is the 3rd anniversary of protests in 2008 during which at least 10 Tibetans were shot dead (some reports say more) after protests which began at Kirti Monastery.

Voice of TIbet has just started broadcasting this story now in Tibetan and Chinese and will update their website shortly. We are in contact with other news sources to try and find more information.

Alison

Alison Reynolds
Executive Director, International Tibet Network

International Tibet Network Members' Message,

16 March 2011
Dear Network Members,
With news that a young monk, Phuntsok, from Kirti monastery in Ngaba died today after he set
himself alight and was beaten by Chinese police, and of a mass protest that followed this incident,
we urge groups to contact their Beijing Embassies immediately to:
- Inform them that this news has been recieved. (**See below for the details that we have at present)
- Request they contact the Chinese authorities for clarification of the incident and news that the area has
been placed under tight security by police and military personnel.
Contact information for Beijing Embassies can be found at http://www.chinahighlights.com/embassy/embassy-in-china/beijing/
The details of the incident at Kirti Monastery, Ngaba (Ch: Aba), Amdo (Sichuan), that we have at present are:

Monks at Kirti monastery in Dharamsala have told Voice of Tibet and others that a young monk called Phuntsok set fire
to his body and shouted slogans. Voice of Tibet have been told that the fire was extinguished and he was beaten by
police and has died (an earlier report said he was still alive). A major protest then took place, by monks and laypeople,
and police and military personnel have placed the area under tight security.
Today is the third anniversary of protests in 2008 during which at least 10 Tibetans were shot dead (some reports say more)
after protests which began at Kirti Monastery.
Currently Phayul are the only agency to issue a news report in english.
You can read this report at
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=29257,
and we will let you know if and when any further news emerges.
With best wishes
Mandie

Dear Friends of peace and democracy,
Today we remember worldwide the Tibetanian Uprisingday. We also do this here in Brussels, the Capital of Europe.
The answer of the Chinese government to the recent political en social developments in the Middle – east and Northern
Africa is that the Chinese people and the minorities living in China don’t need any political reform.
The Chinese government tries to censor in all ways the information about the revolutions in the Arab world and several human
rights activist who wanted to organize a manifestation for freedom and democracy were arrested in the past weeks.
Also several foreign journalists who wanted to report about protests against the government were arrested.
Recently the United Nations Human Rights Council excluded Lybia. The question has been raised if the People’s Republic of China
has the moral authority to occupy a seat in this Council.
The reaction of the Chinese regime is remarkable. China is a fast growing economical and political power in the world.
Its development in recent years is fascinating. Hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty.
Why is it blocking websites?
For many years already I keep an eye on what’s happening in Tibet. It’s very shocking to note what’s happening there over more than
60 years. Since the Chinese Communist Party imposed his leadership, life in Tibet and China is a tragedy,
and this effects millions and millions of people. The economical and infrastructural success of China is but one side of the
medal. The other side of the medal is that oppression by the Chinese government is very hard and this is very sad.
As the Mayor of the city of Kasterlee, we raise the Tibetan flag each year on the 10th of March, to show our solidarity
with the Tibetan people. So today, de Tibetan flag is waving at our tonwhall. I believe it’s an important sign that shows that
we don’t forget the Tibetan people. I would like to ask all my colleague Mayors in whole Belgium that they join this action
and that they raise the Tibetan flag at their City Hall as well. By doing so we show sympathy not only with Tibetans but with all
people worldwide whose national, cultural, religious and linguistic rights are not respected.
China has adopted the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights , China has voted in favor of the Declaration,
but nevertheless China is one of the main violators of human rights.
In China and in Tibet there is no freedom of speech, movement, press and religion.
Free trade unions and political parties are forbidden. Everything is controlled by the Chinese communist authorities.
Other ideas than that of the Communist Party are not tolerated. People are arrested, imprisoned,
tortured and executed for expressing their views and for calling for more freedom and democracy. Until today, this is the fate
of Tibetans, of Falung Gong, of Uyghurs, of Christians, of democrats, of human rights activists.
During the Cultural Revolution, thousands of monasteries were destroyed in Tibet. All the monasteries now are controlled by the Chinese authorities, and the monks and nuns have to follow re-education campaigns based on the ideology of the CCP. The Chinese government decides if new monks or nuns are allowed in a monastery, and how much. In the monasteries, the monks and nuns have to abbey the rules of the Chinese authorities as well.
Travelling in Tibet is very limited, also for tourists. For the last two years, no foreign journalists were allowed in Tibet.
We can ask ourselves why? The delegation of journalists from all over the world who visited Tibet this summer, could only conclude
that the situation there is very bad, even the worst in the last few decades. Tibetans live under a reign of terror,
a reign of fear, and they are very afraid to speak openly.
Each year lots of Tibetans escape to Nepal and India. The stories they bring about their life in Tibet under the Chinese
dictatorship are horrible and inhuman.
It is normal that an economic power as China takes its place in de world. China has an old an rich history and cultural.
It has a population of 1,3 billion. But it has not the right friends. I’am thinking of Nord Korea, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Sudan,
all countries with a very poor human rights record. China's new status as a leading country in the 21st century must entail
increased responsibility for peace and respect for human rights, both inside and outside the country.
I would like to do an appeal for allowing the United Nations and independent and objective commissioners to investigate human
rights in Tibet and in the whole of China.
If we take a look at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs,
whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his
religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private,
to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 20. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to
belong to an association.

These are fundamental rights that every human being should have, of any nationality, ethnic group and religion,
and wherever they live. How can China be a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council as long as the government violates
this rights.
Finally I would like to say that it’s good to join hands together today. Human rights and peace are not only important in
Tibet and in China but everywhere, it is of common human interest.
Freedom for Tibet
Freedom for the Chinese
Thank you.Ward Kennes

Gabriel Lafitte is a public policy analyst specialising in contemporary Tibet, and the impacts of Chinese policy
on the Tibetan Plateau.
Based in Dharamsala, India, and in Australia, he works with Tibetan colleagues, of the Environment &
Development Desk, Central Tibetan Administration, analysing causes and consequences of Chinese policies
with major present and future impacts, such as:

- social suffering caused by widespread removal of nomads from their pastures, in the name of
ecological watershed protection
-China’s 12th Five-Year Plan for 2011 through 2015, with its renewed emphasis on hydropower
damming of Tibetan rivers
-accelerating urbanisation of Tibet, intensification of mass Chinese tourism to Tibet, and the
construction of luxury hotels in Lhasa; tourism as a postindustrial future alternative path for promoting
Tibetan employment and skills
-widespread but illegal small scale mining of gold in environmentally destructive ways, and large-scale
mining of copper, with smelters, power stations and rail connections to China
-China’s global impacts on resource extraction, comparative economics of extraction from Tibet for
industrial expansion of western China
-biodiversity, endangered species, protected areas, world heritage protection, hunting, fur trading,
invasive species
-poverty in rural Tibet, inequality, food insecurity, new income sources
-land use patterns, concentrated intensive production zones and neglected, depopulated rural
hinterlands; contradictions in China’s policies
-inner sources of Tibetan cultural resilience enabling Tibet to strengthen identity and deal
constructively with pressures of immigration and rapid development
-Communist Party policy changes and continuities in mis/understanding Tibetan culture and religion,
mis/understanding the land of Tibet, especially the vast grasslands

In over 30 years of working with Tibetans, Gabriel has written, or contributed to, reports published by
Environment & Development Desk, International Commission of Jurists, International Campaign for Tibet, Tibet
Information Network, Tibetan Political Review, OpenDemocracy.org, Tibetan Review, Tibetan Bulletin, Tibetan
Voice, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Australia, Project UnderGround, Phayul.com, Australian
Conservation Foundation, New Matilda, as well as book chapters, and co-authoring a book Happiness in a
Material World, on the Dalai Lama and his teachings.
Gabriel regularly leads training programs for young Tibetan professionals and graduate students on research
and analytical skills, and report writing. He has now retired from teaching Asian Studies and social sciences in
the universities of his home town, Melbourne.